12 China miners killed in fire: state media

A coal mine fire in eastern China has killed at least 12 miners, state media reported on Saturday, citing local authorities.

A coal mine fire in eastern China has killed at least 12 miners, state media reported on Saturday, citing local authorities.

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Emergency workers recovered the bodies of 12 people from the mine in Xinyu City in Jiangxi province on Saturday morning, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The blaze, which began Friday afternoon, was still being investigated, it said.

"An initial investigation indicates the fire was caused by short circuit of underground cables," Xinhua quoted a district government statement as saying.

China's coal mines are among the most dangerous in the world, with safety often ignored in the quest for profits and a drive to meet surging demand for coal, the source of about 70 per cent of the country's energy.